To overwhelming public approval Tuesday night, Stockton City Council unanimously backed a resolution to publicly support Stocktonian immigrants at a time when immigration sweeps are being carried out across the city and country.
In a 7-0 vote, the adopted “Compassionate City” resolution reaffirms “Stockton’s values” by supporting residents, regardless of their status. An echo to state law, the city’s declaration also strongly urges Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to not “break up families,” conduct sweeps at essential facilities like schools and city buildings, and to not deport undocumented residents who have “not broken the law,” according to the resolution’s text.
The resolution does not carry any legal requirements or directives to city staff, and does it change the city’s budget, said Councilmember Mario Enríquez, who brought and presented to council Tuesday.
“[It’s] really about compassion. It’s about dignity and it’s about respect,” Enríquez said. “This is what this city stands for.”
The city’s statement comes as a deluge of summons persist at an ICE facility in Stockton and as immigration sweeps forge through cities across the country, often violently.
Since late October, when ICE in Stockton detained at least two dozen immigrants after a surprise weekend check-in, 24 more have been arrested, according to social media alerts from immigrant rights advocate Faith in the Valley.
“These are our neighbors, some of whom work essential jobs, attend our schools and support their families here in Stockton,” said Nora Zaragoza-Yáñez, a program manager for the faith group’s rapid response network, in her public comment supporting the resolution. “[It] affirms that every resident deserves dignity, safety and fair treatment.”
Enríquez said the resolution has been worked on “diligently” since August after learning about a similar model in Union City, which was introduced to the councilmember by the Bay Area city’s Vice Mayor Jaime Patiño.
During his presentation, Enríquez railed against rumors stating that Stockton’s resolution came as a response to the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis resident by an on-duty ICE officer.
“This didn’t just come up in the last seven days,” the District 4 councilmember said at the meeting. “That is far from the truth.”
Stockton’s resolution is also different from a “sanctuary city” ordinance, where the latter would be a “direct challenge to ICE,” Enríquez said.
“Sanctuary city ordinances are more on the offense — a direct confrontation with ICE. This is not what this resolution is,” Enríquez told Stocktontia “We want to reaffirm to our citizens our values.”
State Senate Bill 54, known as California’s “sanctuary state” law, passed in 2017 and already restricts the use of state and local government resources in federal immigration enforcement.
The city’s proclamation, continued Enríquez, defines “Stockton in its own way” — a reminder that all Stocktonians, regardless of immigration status, have the right to access city resources, without fear and anxiety.
“If we’re silent,” Enríquez told councilmembers Tuesday, “that creates distrust.”
Enríquez, in the days following the late-October detainments at Stockton’s ICE facility, said on social media that he had formally requested a visit to the site, located in the 600 block of San Juan Avenue.
ICE officials have yet to respond to Enríquez’s request or provide clarification about the facility’s unusual October appointments, he said.
“We can’t put a blind eye and pretend that this isn’t happening,” Enríquez said of the country, state and local ICE activity. “At the bare minimum, this City Council — together as a united front — can make a statement, put it out on paper, to say we are utilizing our resources for our community.”
While the majority of public comment supported the city’s declaration, several, including immigrant rights organizers from the Empowering Marginalized Asian Communities and Faith in the Valley, stressed that city officials should see the resolution as a “first step.”
Stockton resident Matthew Lester said he hopes the city “matches the resolution with action,” including requesting a walk through the city’s ICE facility.
“If we are to call ourselves a compassionate city, then transparency is also essential,” Lester said. “Let’s not wait for a trigger happy ICE agent to do something in our city.”
Early last year, local organizers called on City Council to consider making Stockton a sanctuary city, citing ICE activity in Stockton and Modesto.
“Support us right now in this time of need,” said organizer Henry Ortiz in February, urging councilmembers to declare Stockton a sanctuary city. “So that we can uplift our people … That our families don’t get separated (from) outdated immigration laws.”
In early 2017, at the start of President Donald Trump’s contentious immigration action during his first, Stockton City Council passed a resolution reaffirming the city’s commitment to human rights, inclusiveness, environmental protection, affordable healthcare, religious freedom and respect.
Language in Tuesday’s resolution is similar, said Enríquez, but ultimately hones in on the immigrant community, considering the ongoing fear of increased immigration crackdowns in Stockton and San Joaquin County.
Fugazi, who had voted for the 2017 declaration in a unanimous vote when she served as the councilmember for District 5, self-reflected in her council comment about former students who had “felt ashamed” over their immigration status.
“Everyone has value. Everyone has something to contribute,” Fugazi said, thanking Enríquez for spearheading the resolution’s creation. “Every single one of us has a purpose.”
While some may call the resolution “low hanging fruit,” Enríquez said, it’s “full circle” for him.
“I’m a son of immigrants,” Enríquez told Stocktonia Wednesday, adding that his mother had sat in the front row as he presented the resolution Tuesday. “So knowing how important this was, not just for [my mom], but for our community — our immigrant community — was a bold statement.”
Want more? Sign up to get Stocktonia delivered to your inbox three days a week.